Pottery Barn Kids "Anywhere Chair" Review

My girls love each other, they really do. It's amazing seeing the bond they have already formed and how Kendall follows Makenna around everywhere they go. Sometimes I know they need their own space though and when their favorite movies are on it's hard to find that "me" space each of them want.

Recently Pottery Barn Kids has saved my sanity by sending us two Regular Girls' Anywhere Chairs - Pink Sherpa and Chocolate Birdie Print! I've always been a huge fan of PBK because they make amazing quality items that kids can actually use without the fear of breaking it.

The girls now each have a place to sit but can still be next to each other and hold hands. Yes for now they hold hands and hang out... I know I'm doomed in years to come.

Pottery Barn Kids definitely didn't disappoint me because these chairs are fabulous. When you get your chair it is in 5 pieces and 2 boxes. Yep, that was something I wasn't expecting. The chair inserts which make up the 2 arm rests, bottom and seat back are made in the USA with recyclable foam containing up to 30% soy-based materials. Then you have the slipcover which comes in its own box and they are pure cotton in durable twill, denim, canvas or polyester sherpa depending on which chair you choose.

Each component of the chair is separate and I had to fight with the slipcovers to get this sucker put together. I knew it would be worth it so I stuck to my guns. The Sherpa slipcover gave me the most trouble and that's because the fur is covering the zipper area. Which yes, that's a good thing so you don't see this huge zipper but when I'm putting the chair together all I can do was scream at the fur since it kept getting stuck in the zipper.
John finally came over and while I held the fur apart he would zip. We did this little by little until it was finally together. The Chocolate Birdie slipcover (a canvas type material) was much easier to put on and zip up.
Since Makenna was at school when the chairs came only Kendall was there to test it out. She instantly jumped in the Pink Sherpa chair to claim it as her own and had the most relaxed look on her face.

All the slipcovers are removable and machine-washable! You can also purchase replacement slipcovers if you want to change up the look or have another baby of the opposite sex without having to purchase a whole new chair. If you have all the kids you're going to have or want to make the chair more personable PBK will personalize the chair with FREE embroidery. I wish I could have their names added so there is no fighting over what chair belongs to whom.

It's called the Anywhere Chair because they are lightweight and can be moved from room to room depending on where your child wants it to be. Again, you can take this as a good or bad thing. Sometimes it's bad because the girls always bring the chairs into my room to hang out.

These really are the most comfortable chair we have been able to find and because they are made so well I love that the girls will have them for a very long time. You have 3 options for your Anywhere Chair - My First, Regular, and Over-Sized. The Regular chairs that we received are 28" wide x 22" deep x 22" high which are just the perfect size. You can see how big it is compared to our over-sized Loveseat and in the pictures above you can see that Kendall has plenty of room to grow.

These chairs are on the pricey side at $99-$159 but you really are getting a quality item that can be used for years to come and can be revamped with new slipcovers (which range from $29-$89). This is a great Christmas gift but unless you purchase the chair in-store than unfortunately you won't receive this gorgeous chair before Christmas. No matter what the occasion this is a great gift and you should run not walk to your nearest Pottery Barn Kids asap!

Disclosure: I was provided with the featured item at no cost by the manufacturer and/or its PR agency in order to test the products abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others. I did not receive any other monetary means.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure for XBox 360 Review

For one of Makenna's big presents we were at a loss at what to get her until John saw the Skylanders display at the store. We are a huge gamer family so I was up for checking it out then I got the word that Activision would send us the game. When it arrived we told Makenna that it was an early Christmas present since we had to open it and review it.

So what exactly is Sylanders: Spyro's Adventure? Well even though this game is subtitled "Spyro's Adventure" - in reality, the game just features Spyro. He is not a bigger star in this game than the other Skylander. We have never previously played a Spyro game so to us, this didn't make a difference.

So what exactly are Skylanders? Skylanders are basically powerful creatures that belong to different elemental groups such as fire, earth, wind, tech, ect... As you progress through the game, you’ll encounter different areas, enemies, and other obstacles that can only be reached by using or are more susceptible to certain elemental types.

When you purchase the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure starter pack you will get 3 Skylanders figures and The Portal of Power (along with other extras). You won't be able to find a stand alone game on it's own and there is a reason for this. The Skylanders in the game need to be activated in-game by acquiring their real-world toy figurine versions and have the game communicate with them.

Wait what... communicate?!

Yep, that's what makes this game so fun and exciting! What makes Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure truly unique is the super cool “Portal of Power,” a USB powered pedestal that your Skylanders can be placed on in real life. In order to use the characters in the game, you must physically place them on the device which, in turn, activates them in the game! John loves that he can add the figures to his "man shelf" of other collectible game figures he has when the game is not in use.

The great thing about the figures is that they also retain the character data on the figures themselves, so your son or daughter can bring their favorite characters to a friend’s house, play with their own character in the Co-Op mode with said friend, then bring them back home and continue playing right where the two of them left off. And guess what? This character data? It works across ALL platforms. So if you have a XBox 360 and your child's friend has a PS3, 3DS, and even on the PC and Mac - you don’t have to worry about anything – it all works. If you know anything about gaming you know this is amazing because cross-platform game play is practically non-existent, even in 2011.

As far as the game goes the graphics are bright and smooth. The game is propelled by a story-driven adventure. The story was a little short for our liking and wish it was longer but unlike other games that make you purchase DLC, if you go out and purchase one of the other Skylander characters you will get access to new levels and your game can continue in a different way and earn different "achievements". Your kids will fall in love with the amazing world of Skylands where they explore mysterious, mythical lands, battle menacing outlandish creatures, collect gold and treasures, and solve puzzles (some I have to help Makenna on) all while on a quest to save the world from "Kaos", an evil Portal Master.

There are a lot of cut scenes in the game that cannot be bypassed which didn't bother Makenna but they could be a little boring for John and I. What do I mean for me and the hubby? Well, even though this is a kid based game (ages 6+) we enjoyed playing the game by ourselves and in co-op mode when Makenna is sleeping. It's hard to find a game that I enjoy playing with John that has co-op mode so it is fun to play Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure with John late at night and spend that time together. To add a player to the current game all you have to do is put another character on the portal and it is instantly transported into the game - no special screen to switch to or anything. 

With every game there are a few things I wish I could change or add, with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure there aren't many but they do exist.

I wish there was a level difficulty choice in the game play. Yes, it's a kid's game but I think it's good to challenge kids especially if they level up their character. Also, the co-op mode would be even better with actual online console play, where you can play with other people around the world.

These two things definitely aren't deal breakers and to tell you the truth we've since purchased 11 other Skylanders including Flameslinger and Sonic Boom (I nicknamed "Eagle Eye"), a pirate ship extra level and two Hidden Treasure pieces! We're on the search for Wirlwind which is a Target exclusive but cannot find him anywhere in our area (If you find him I will pay to have it shipped to me - seriously... let me know).



Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a without a doubt a MUST buy game. Yes, it's a bit pricey especially if your kids want more Skylanders (as low as $7.99 for single, $19.99 3-pack) but it's completely worth it no matter how old you or your kids are. Skylanders is a great change from the typical shooter games that are all the rage right now and definitely in my home. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure makes you remember what it's like to play a happy, fun game.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure rated "E10+" by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) and is available for purchase at GameStop, Toys R Us, Walmart, Amazon, Target and Best Buy for $69.99 for the starter pack (game, portal and 3 Skylanders). You can play the game on XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Wii.

Disclosure: I was provided with the featured item (Skylanders starter pack) at no cost by the manufacturer and/or its PR agency in order to test the products abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others. I did not receive any other monetary means.

Going on a Trip

Christmas is just a few days away and I have been shopping, planning, wrapping and shipping my little heart away. Things were going to be pretty calm this year and per the usual we'd visit my parents and get a visit from the MIL.
Just a couple days ago I got the word that we'd be receiving a Cadillac SRX for a week so we immediately starting planning. We knew we'd go out of town but to where was the question and trying to figure all this out so close to Christmas is giving me a headache.

Once the plans are now set but now I need to think other things (my job never ends) like who to take care of the house and dog while we were gone. Usually going on a trip is pretty costly but I know we'll be taking our Shelf Reliance food storage kits with us so we wouldn't be eating out much if at all.

I also have so much blog work that needs to be done and I am nothing but a procrastinator when that topic has been coming up. I know after the Christmas break it'll be hard to get back into the swing of things but I am wishing for the best.

I hope the next few days go smoothly and everyone has an amazing Christmas. I have a couple more reviews to get up but after that - Christmas break time!!

Secret Santa Revealed! #jcpSecretSanta

Remember last week I told you how I teamed up with jcpenny and Mom Central for this fun Secret Santa gift Exchange? If not, then get up to speed by reading my post here.
Each year offices participate in their annual Secret Santa but being a stay at home mom I don't get to participate in anything like that so I was so thrilled to be apart of something this fun.

Now I'm not one for surprises or the anticipation of something happening so it was hard for me not to spill the beans through-out this little adventure.

So last week I went shopping on jcpenny to pick out a gift for a fellow blogger. I didn't get to pick who the blogger was and the person that was my Secret Santa didn't get to pick me so everyone was in the dark about who got who.

After looking around a bit I finally decided on what I thought would be the perfect gift! I recorded my message to said blogger and sent her gift away!

So what about my Secret Santa? Well that's the exciting part!

I have been on the edge of my seat for the past week waiting to see who my Secret Santa was and what they got for me and today FedEx showed up with a gorgeous box with my name all over it! the first thing I did was scan the QR code so I could find out who sent me this wonderful gift.

Of course if you are going to participate you will need a smart phone and the ability to download a QR Code reader app. Once my app was installed it scanned the barcode then automatically opened up a browser window. I was instructed to press play and then I heard the message from my Secret Santa!! I started laughing and was so happy with who my Santa was. I couldn't believe the pure luck of the draw...

So what did she get me? It was gorgeous and fits perfectly - Bisou Bisou One Shoulder dress I can't wait to wear it out on a date night with the husband or at one of those fab BlogHer parties next year!! Now I'm not all dressed up and photo ready so I won't show you how it looks on me right now but you can just image this is me in the picture, ok? :)

There is still time to take part in the Secret Santa gifting. Santa Tags are available at all jcpenney locations at JCP services (where you would find gift boxes). Anyone who purchased a gift at jpenney anytime after 11/15/11 is eligible to receive a Santa Tag for free (just show your receipt).

Oh yeah.. Who's my Secret Santa??

Becca from Mama B!!

I hope jcpenny continues this because next year I definitely want to do this again for my friends who live out of state!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a jcpenney Secret Santa gift and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Stocking Stuffers for Champions For Kids #DisneyCFK #CBias

As I told you a few days ago this year to help those in need we are participating in a wonderful charity - Champions For Kids. It's an amazing campaign that works to mobilize MILLIONS of people to improve the lives of children in their communities.

My family is incredible blessed and when I hear stories of families and children around the world who don't have nearly as much as I do it is incredible sad. Every chance we get we try to donate and I believe that everyone should do so no matter what time of year it is.
The holiday season is an especially great time to donate new toys to children who won't have a Christmas otherwise. We all know Christmas isn't about gifts but for those kids who don't have much it's great to give them what we can to make their days a little brighter.

My family had a goal - go to Walmart, purchase a stocking and shop for a child in need. We thought this was going to be easy but found it to be a little difficult and that was only because it is so close to Christmas that practically everything is sold out. We weren't shopping for just anything though, we needed Disney theme gifts.

We quickly found the Stocking Stuffers section and we were able to buy some little $1-$3 gifts for the stocking. We are lucky to live in Central Florida so almost every single Walmart has a (over-priced) Disney section in it so to continue our shopping we headed over there (you can see what else we purchased by checking out my Google+ story).

We eventually found everything we needed and headed home to pack up our stocking. I am still unsure on where to donate this fun Disney Princess theme stocking too but next week we'll be donating it a great girl that's for sure.

Find more about Champions for Kids here:

• Twitter: @champions4kids
• Twitter hashtag: #DisneyCFK
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChampionsForKids
• Champions For Kids
• Donation Page

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own and we would participate regardless!